They are, for the most part, a group that Brady has never partnered with.

Only two in the group, Edelman and Slater, have ever been on the receiving end of a pass from the Pats quarterback and five years into his career the latter’s Pro Bowl berths as a special teamer outnumber his reception total, 2-1.

As for Edelman, well, in four years with the Patriots, he’s caught 69 passes; that would be little more than a half-season’s work for Wes Welker.

Speaking of whom, it was only hours after Welker left for Peyton’s place that this position took more turns than a soap opera.

Ultimately, it was out with the old and in with the new in Foxboro.

Gone are last year’s two leading receivers – Welker, who signed with Denver as a free agent, and Brandon Lloyd, who was released – not to mention Deion Branch and Donte’ Stallworth, neither of whom was re-signed by the Patriots.

Here are veteran free agents Amendola (from St. Louis), Jenkins (Minnesota) and Hawkins (Tennessee), draft picks Dobson (second round; Marshall University) and Boyce (fourth round; Texas Christian University), undrafted rookie free agents Ashford, Harrison, Sims and Thompkins, plus Aiken, who was with the Patriots last season but spent the bulk of his time on the practice squad.

Through it all, it would be nice to think Foxboro is like Foxwoods – wheel one “Slot Machine” out, wheel another one in – but as much as some might hype him as a Welker in waiting does anyone really believe Amendola’s going to be the second coming of a player who averaged 112 receptions per season over his six years here?

Amendola had a nice enough season in 2010, hauling in 85 passes from rookie quarterback Sam Bradford (no Brady he), but since then he’s been hurt a lot more than he’s been healthy (12 games player over the past two seasons).

Of the holdovers, Edelman’s had his own issues when it’s come to maintaining good health.

Perhaps Dobson and Boyce can develop, but that would be a change under a regime that’s drafted a number of wide receivers (where have you gone, Bethel Johnson, P.K. Sam, Chad Jackson, Brandon Tate, Taylor Price and Jeremy Ebert?) that never caught on.